Second win puts Tipperary minor footballers through to the last four

Tipperary 1-14 Waterford 0-9

Tipperary’s minor footballers reached the Munster championship semi-final when they beat Waterford with a mostly confident and assured display in front of a fine-sized attendance at Lemybrien on Tuesday evening.

Tipp’s second victory of the campaign means that their last Phase One game against Clare in Quilty next Tuesday evening will be a dead rubber, ahead of their meeting with the same county in the Phase One final on Tuesday April 30 to determine whether they meet Cork or Kerry in the semi-final on May 7.

However, there’s no doubt that they’ll be keen to keep their winning run going when they face Clare next week, while laying down a marker ahead of that Phase One decider.

Apart from a ten-minute wobble at the beginning of the second half, Tipperary were always in control of affairs against Waterford.

Six different scorers accounted for their eight first half points and at the break they led by 0-8 to 0-3 after a half in which they had played against the breeze.

The lights were switched on for the beginning of the second period and it was Waterford who started the brighter with four unanswered points within nine minutes of the restart to whittle Tipp’s healthy lead down to just a single point (0-8 to 0-7).

Converted frees by Paddy McCarthy and Joe Brennan finally got Waterford into a rhythm that they couldn’t discover up to then, and they took further encouragement from a pair of points by Luke Hennessy.

However, just when it seemed that they had hit choppy waters, two points from Ciarán Kelly and Jack Garrett in as many minutes steadied the ship for Tipperary. Garrett was his team’s best player in a game in which he scored five points, three from play, and he used his speed and skill to make an interception and start and finish the move for the score that made it 0-10 to 0-7. He helped his team to get further back on track with a converted free, which put Tipp four clear approaching the midway stage of the second half.

Dylan Cotter and Charlie Walsh strengthened Tipp’s grip on the game with points (0-13 to 0-7) before the result was put beyond any doubt with just under ten minutes remaining, when Alex Coppinger reacted quickest to the rebound when Charlie Walsh’s free struck the upright to fire home the only goal of the game.

Ciarán Kelly added further gloss to the scoreline with a 55th minute point, while Joe Brennan had two consolation scores from frees for Waterford.

All the leading performers wore blue and gold shirts. Tipperary had a very strong spine in midfielders Dylan Cotter and Oran Gahan, centre back Tom Corcoran and full back Ronan Myles.

Charlie Walsh, Sean Griffin, Ciarán Kelly and Jamal Yousif were always busy in the forwards, while Jack Garrett’s forays from wing back were a great boost to the attack.

Tipp displayed the greater hunger and appetite from the start, even if they fell behind to an early point from Paddy McCarthy’s 45 and were grateful for the save that goalie Mark Conroy made with his foot from a McCarthy effort. Jack Garrett kicked the equaliser shortly afterwards and the visitors took the lead through Charlie Walsh’s free. Waterford drew level with a Paddy Spellman point after ten minutes but it was the last time there was parity on the scoreboard.

Waterford’s Liam Kavanagh received a black card in the 12th minute and Tipp made hay with the numerical advantage, scoring three points in as many minutes through Sean Griffin, Jack Garrett’s free and Dylan Cotter.

Paddy McCarthy kicked a much-needed point for Waterford from a free. Tipp were the better team, though, although that superiority wasn’t adequately reflected on the scoreboard until the closing minutes of the half when they had further scores from Jack Garrett, Cian Collins and Jamal Yousif.

The nine wides that they kicked (seven in the first half) will also be a concern.

Waterford’s two wides and nine points (just three of which came from play) summed up the poverty of their performance on a night when Joe Brennan, Dylan Broxson, Luke Hennessy and Paddy McCarthy were their best players.  

Tipperary: Mark Conroy (Drom/Inch), Jack McGonigle (Rockwell Rovers), Ronan Myles (Ardfinnan, joint captain), Gavin Neville (Fethard), Danny Morris (Clonmel Commercials), Tom Corcoran (JK Brackens, joint captain), Jack Garrett (Arravale Rovers 0-5, 2 frees), Dylan Cotter (Thurles Gaels 0-2), Oran Gahan (St Patrick’s), Harry Tobin Ryan (Clonmel Commercials), Jamal Yousif (Clonmel Óg 0-1), Sean Griffin (Upperchurch/Drombane 0-1), Ciarán Kelly (Arravale Rovers 0-2), Charlie Walsh (Fethard 0-2, 1 free), Cian Collins (Galtee Rovers 0-1).

Substitutes: Cillian Healy (Kilruane MacDonaghs) for Harry Tobin Ryan (40 minutes), Noah O’Flynn (Fethard) for Danny Morris (44 minutes), Alex Coppinger (Durlas Óg 1-0) for Cian Collins (44 minutes), Ryan O’Sullivan (Clerihan) for Oran Gahan (52 minutes), Darragh Pollard (Ballingarry) for Jack Garrett (58 minutes).

Waterford: Conor Drohan, Sean Roche, Daniel O’Callaghan, Andrew Ryan, Dylan Broxson, Jack Power, Paddy Spellman (0-1), Ciarán Cotter (joint captain), Luke Hennessy (0-2), Ciarán Power, Liam Kavanagh (joint captain), Billy Drohan, David Nyhan, Paddy McCarthy (0-3, 2 frees, 1 ‘45), Joe Brennan (0-3 frees).

Substitutes: Tom Lynch for Liam Kavanagh (38 minutes), Josh Jacob for Ciarán Power and Alex Gillane for Dylan Broxson (both 49 minutes), Dylan Farrell for Luke Hennessy and Charlie Feeney for Billy Drohan (both 58 minutes).

Referee: Donnacha O’Callaghan (Limerick).